1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system.
2. Description of Related Art
Traditionally, as an image forming system using continuous paper such as a roll of paper as a recording medium, there is known an image forming system including an image forming apparatus, a sheet feeding apparatus which feeds the continuous paper to the image forming apparatus and a roll-up apparatus which rolls up the continuous paper conveyed from the image forming apparatus around a supporting shaft and holds the continuous paper in the rolled up state, for example.
In such image forming system, when ending the image forming process, the continuous paper is usually conveyed until the last image on the continuous paper be at the position (roll-up completion position) where the last image is rolled up around the supporting shaft and then the operation is stopped taking the after processes such as processing, delivery and the like in to consideration.
In such image forming system, there are cases where a process where the continuous paper is conveyed for a predetermined distance after the fixing roller is pressed against the continuous paper and the image forming process is started after waiting for the behavior of the continuous paper during the conveyance to stabilize (meandering stabilizing wait process) and a process where the continuous paper is conveyed in the state where the fixing roller is pressed against the continuous paper after the image forming process to cool the fixing unit (fixing unit cooling process) are carried out.
However, for example, in the case where a proof printing (trial printing) before carrying out the actual image forming job is to be carried out or image forming jobs are to be carried out continuously, if the individual processes are simply carried out continuously, the next image forming process is to be carried out after carrying out the meandering stabilizing wait process and the fixing unit cooling process and after conveying the continuous paper so that the last image be at the roll-up completion position. Thus, great amount of waste paper (white parts) is produced and waiting time occurs between images or between jobs.
Further, the continuous paper which is rolled-up needs to be unrolled manually, for example, in order to check the formed image in the case of proof printing, and this can be troublesome to a user.
For example, JP 2008-114564 suggests a technique to control waste paper when performing printing on continuous paper.
JP 2008-114564 discloses a method where printing is carried out intermittently for specified pages and pieces of paper in order to control waste paper which is produced due to various adjustments such as a density adjustment and the like. However, JP 2008-114564 does not disclose anything about reducing waste paper. Further, JP 2008-114564 discloses that the image forming is to be stopped so that the image can be checked through a checking window if a user instructs to stop the image forming, and this can be troublesome to a user since he/she when checking the image.